Saving Elliot
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: EO! The long awaited sequel to "Finding Olivia". Olivia has moved in with Elliot and finding the road to recovery is longer than she thought when something happens that both Olivia and Elliot where praying wouldn't. And that's only the beginning.
1. Chapter 1: Late Night Visits

Saving Elliot

**Saving Elliot**

**Chapter 1: Late Night Visits**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Elliot or Olivia. I do however claim ownership of Fletcher Cline.**

**A/N: This is the long awaited sequel to "Finding Olivia". It took me a long time to write it and I've been distracted several times but hopefully I've written it well. I hope I can keep you interested throughout this continuation of the adventure as Elliot and Olivia seek the truth about the person who set them up.**

"Elliot," she called softly. She was in a corridor that seemed to go on forever. Along the walls were several doors. She crept up to each in turn and tried the handle, none of them opened. She felt small in this place. "Elliot," she called again as she made her way down the hall. Suddenly the room was filled with light and a loud bang through her off her feet.

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Olivia shot up in bed, breathing heavily. The dream had been a common occurrence over the past month and it always ended the same way, with that explosion. She didn't know if she could call it a nightmare exactly but it left her feeling unsettled. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She decided to go downstairs and make herself a cup of tea.

She crept past the closed door of Elliot's bedroom so as not to wake him up. She loved being so close to him but since the night in the hospital, she hadn't been eager to share a bed with him and she didn't know why. She knew that it had to bother him that while she was happy being so close, she still kept him at an arms length when it came to talk of something so simple as sleeping in the same bed.

She padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. She turned the lights on, peering cautiously around the room. She remained on guard at all times these days. It didn't matter how many times Elliot reassured her that she was safe or how many times Fletcher told her over the phone that they would catch Rickie any day now. The fact was they hadn't caught him yet. She wouldn't admit, even to Elliot, that she was afraid of Rickie. He had been able to break her, shaking her at the very core of her being.

She placed the pot of water on the stove and sighed. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out one of the mugs that she had brought from her apartment. She knew it was hers but it was almost seamless how her things had become a part of Elliot's house. She remembered the day she had moved in. It had been a month ago almost to the day.

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"Olivia," Elliot's youngest daughter, Elizabeth called into the house "Moving van's here."

Olivia appeared at the top of the stairs. She had been in the guest room, arranging the things that they had been able to bring in her car "Thanks Lizzie," she smiled as she came down to join the thirteen year old at the front door.

"I'm glad you're moving in with Dad," Lizzie grinned as the two walked towards the moving van "That way, he won't be so lonely when we're with mom."

Olivia nodded. _No,_ she thought with a smile _He won't be alone. I'll never let him be alone._ They reached the van where Elliot and Dickie stood, talking to the moving guys, trying to convince them that they could take it from there. Olivia walked up to Elliot and resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him; they hadn't exactly told the kids about their relationship yet. She got as close to him as she could without arousing suspicion and whispered "Is this some macho man thing?" she winked at him "Give your ego a break for one day Elliot."

Elliot grinned and whispered back "Never."

"Come on Elliot," Olivia spoke at normal volume now "These guys will get the job done faster if they do it without being hounded by you."

Elliot agreed but made his presence very much known as the men moved through his house and up to the guest room with Olivia's bed and dresser. Olivia's couch and kitchen chairs and most every other piece of furniture that hadn't been in her bedroom was left in storage for the time being. There was no need for it at Elliot's house and really no place to put it either.

When the movers had finished and left, Olivia sank onto the bed in what was now her room. She still had a lot of unpacking to do but it could wait. She stared at the ceiling, memorized the way that the afternoon sunlight peaked through the curtains and streaked across the plain white plaster. Her eyes shifted to the wall and the atrocious flower print that Elliot had repeatedly apologized for, saying that it had all been Kathy's idea. Olivia would never admit it but she didn't hate the floral design as much as she professed to. It was silly but it made her feel like she was really a part of a real home, a real family.

"Hey Liv," Elliot knocked on the open door and poked his head in.

Olivia shot up, startled by the sudden noise. When she saw that it was Elliot, she sighed noticeably "Hi," she breathed.

Elliot entered the room and sat beside her on the bed "Sorry," he murmured.

"No," Olivia reassured him, taking his hand in hers "No, don't worry about it," she hated that she startled so easily even in this place. This place was safe and she shouldn't feel on guard here but she still did.

"Wanna come downstairs and join the argument over what to order for dinner?" Elliot asked with a small smile.

Olivia looked at the radio alarm clock on her bedside table "It's only 4:30," she stated.

"This argument won't be resolved until much later," Elliot laughed "Dickie and Liz are the two pickiest eaters in the world and they both like different things."

Olivia laughed and followed Elliot downstairs.

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The whistle of the tea kettle shook Olivia from her thoughts. She got up quickly and turned off the burner, fearing that the kettle might accidentally wake Elliot. She grabbed a tea bag from another cabinet and filled the mug with hot water.

It had been an easy transition moving in with Elliot. Even when they told the kids about their new relationship, they had taken it surprisingly well. Going back to SVU hadn't been as easy. Her first day back it had just been too much and she spent the day doing primarily paperwork. She opted for desk duty, willingly, for a few weeks. She sighed, remembering that tomorrow she would be going back into the field. Then she groaned, remembering that she would be going back into the field after a session with Huang.

She sat at the kitchen table and sipped at her tea. Huang had been trying to get a chance to talk to her alone ever since she had set foot in the squad room. She had shrugged him off for as long as she could but now it was inevitable that she would have to sit down and talk about what had happened.

The sound of footsteps in the house startled her. She had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't heard where they had originated from; all she knew was that they were coming closer to the kitchen. She tried to stay calm but her breathing became faster, she was afraid. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was cursing herself for being afraid and for her momentary laps in vigilance.

Her fear simply grew until she heard the words "Hey Liv," called softly from the kitchen door.

She looked up and it took all of her restraint not to run to him and bury her face in his chest. She wanted so badly to cry in that moment but at the same time, she prayed that she wouldn't. She managed a small smile "Hey El," she whispered back. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

He walked into the room and wrapped his arms around her where she sat in the chair. He didn't want to tell her that he had had a nightmare and had woken up in a cold sweat, that he had tiptoed to her room to reassure himself that she was still alive, still breathing, only to find that she wasn't there. He didn't want to tell her how afraid he had been until just now when he had seen her. In the end, all he ended up telling her was "It's okay, you didn't wake me." It was then that he saw the look in her eyes. He could see the unease and fear that she was still getting over. He sat in the chair beside her. "Oh no," he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you," he hung his head.

"Elliot don't," she commanded in a small voice. She had told him time and time again not to apologize to her for that sort of thing. She practically got startled whenever anyone entered a room and she hated it but somehow it made it worse when Elliot apologized. She too hung her head "I just couldn't sleep that's all."

Elliot knew that what she told him wasn't the full truth. He also knew that he had indeed scared her and he hated himself for it. He would do anything for her but he was at a loss for how to help her. He knew how to deal with all kinds of victims but this was Olivia. He had no idea how to help her. He was slowly finding out that probably the only way that she would feel safe would be if they caught Ricky and recovered that missing footage. As long as that footage was out there, she was vulnerable on such a massive level and as long as Ricky was still out there, she would see danger around every corner. He held her as close to him as he could "Worried about your meeting with Huang tomorrow?" he asked.

"A little bit," Olivia admitted quietly. She looked up into Elliot's understanding, loving gaze "But I've hidden behind a desk for too long now." She was intent on getting back out there, catching the perps and helping the victims once again and she wasn't going to let something so trivial as her own emotions or experiences get in the way of that.

"You think you're ready?" Elliot asked before he had really thought the question over in his mind. She had told him time and time again that she had to get back out in the field if she was ever going to get over this. She had always added that she would be fine as long as he was beside her. The way in which she had said that last part and the way she had kissed him tenderly afterwards had melted away all of his protests.

"Elliot," she placed a hand under his chin and turned his face fully towards her "I'll be fine," she spoke softly but firmly as she made her point. "I have to do this," the speech was all too familiar. "Besides," she was leaning in for the kiss "You'll be with me," and there it was, that slight pressure of her lips against his that somehow always took his breath away and sent his mind reeling.

Elliot sat quietly beside her as she finished her tea. He didn't say anything more about the subject of her going back to active duty. When she stood up to put the mug in the sink, there was a knock at the front door. Elliot was on his feet at the exact same time that the mug fell from Olivia's hands and shattered, thankfully, in the sink instead of on the floor.

The two looked at each other. Elliot couldn't hide the apprehension in his face but it was nothing compared to the sheer fear that showed itself on Olivia's features. She was as pale as a ghost and her eyes were wide. Her hands shook as all she could think about was getting to her gun before Derek could get any closer. Derek was of course long dead but she suddenly didn't remember that.

Elliot took a step towards her "Liv," he called softly, reaching a hand out to her. "Olivia, it's just me," he touched her arm softly. At first she shied away but when he spoke again she allowed him to wrap his arms around her "It's just me," he whispered reassuringly "You're safe."

This time, she did bury her face in his chest as her body was wracked with sobs. "Oh God…" she murmured "He's coming for me," her voice was cracking with every labored breath as the tears came. "I just know it," she held on to Elliot as tightly as she could "He's gonna kill us both."

"I won't let him touch you," Elliot ran a hand up and down her back "I won't let him hurt you." The knock at the door came again and Olivia's grip on Elliot became so tight that he was afraid his ribs would crack. He slowly brought her to one of the kitchen chairs. "I've gotta go see who that is," he told her.

Olivia nodded "Please be careful," she whispered hoarsely. As Elliot got his gun and headed for the door, Olivia rethought the whole going back into the field plan. She wasn't stable, she wasn't ready. This type of behavior could cost more than a few lives. She put her head down on the table and cried some more. She wanted to be her old self again.

"Who is it?" Elliot asked with his hand on the lock of the door, not ready to turn it until he got a response. He had no idea who in their right mind would be coming to his door in the wee hours of the morning; he just hoped that it wasn't trouble.

"Fletcher," the response came back and Elliot recognized the voice instantly. He opened the door to see the young FBI agent standing there with a sullen expression on his face and something in his hands.

Elliot stepped away from the door to allow Fletcher to enter. "I wish I could say it's good to see you," Elliot sighed "But not a lot of people show up here at this time of night."

"I understand," Fletcher walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "It isn't as if I have good news to report either."

Elliot nodded solemnly "Good news rarely comes before 5:00am," he walked into the kitchen to get Olivia. He saw her with her head on the table and he tapped her shoulder lightly "Liv," he called gently.

Her head shot up instantly as she peered wildly around the room "What's wrong?" she asked almost instantly.

"I don't know yet," Elliot said honestly "Fletcher's here."

"Oh," Olivia nodded in understanding. She got up and followed Elliot into the living room. "Hi," she managed a faint smile in Fletcher's direction.

"Hi Olivia," Fletcher shifted uncomfortably. He had hoped that she would be asleep. He didn't want her to have to see this. She had already been through enough. But she was awake and there was no way he could shut her out of the investigation even if he wanted to. He knew her and he knew how stubborn she was.

Elliot sat down beside Olivia on the love seat "Did you find Ricky?" was the first question that fell from his lips as his hand found Olivia's and he held it tight.

"No," Fletcher shifted uncomfortably again. He wished they had been able to catch Ricky before he had been able to do the damage that he had done. "We did find this," he told them as he handed a DVD to Elliot.

The single disc was in an unlabeled cardboard envelope. Elliot turned it over in his hands, not yet aware of its true meaning "What's on it?" he asked, finally.

Fletcher cleared his throat "It's Olivia," he said simply.

Elliot turned to her at the exact instant that she crumbled. He held her in his arms as they both cried. He tried to reassure her through his own tears but nothing he said seemed good enough. There was no way he could protect her from this. If the FBI task force had found the DVD but not Ricky, it meant that there were more than likely other copies in circulation. God only knew how many people had been privy to Olivia's most vulnerable moments.

If only Elliot or Olivia or even Fletcher knew that this was just the beginning. If Olivia only knew that her humiliation and pain had only been a small part of the master plan. If Elliot only knew that his past would soon come and try to swallow him. If anyone in that living room that night had had the slightest inkling that danger was just around the corner, they would have all fled the state of New York right then and there.

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Ricky Conrad stood beside the telephone booth in the small Oregon town. He was waiting for his new boss to call. The phone finally rang. Ricky looked from side to side, making sure no one was around, in the sleepy town, the precaution all but pointless.

He entered the phone booth and answered the phone "It's Ricky." He said into the receiver.

"How many copies have you made?" the electronically disguised voice on the other end inquired.

"More than enough," Ricky smiled to himself "I've got the others distributing them as we speak."

"Good," the voice on the other end sounded approving "I'd like to talk to you about something else."

"What?" Ricky asked, mildly irritated by his faceless employer. He had been paid well for securing the footage, or as his employer referred to it, the insurance policy. He had been told to leave Derek and the others early just in case someone came to stop them.

Ricky had said that there was no way that anyone would ever catch them but the mystery employer had insisted on his being able to procure something on tape and escaping with it. It had come to the employer's attention that help could be on the way for the latest star in their little horror show.

"I was wondering," the smile could easily be heard in the voice even through the distortion "If you'd be willing to make a sequel."


	2. Chapter 2: Reminders

**Saving Elliot**

**Chapter 2: Reminders**

**A/N: I know this chapter is shorter than the first but I'm hoping it is just as, if not more, powerful. I hope you all like it. This chapter is dedicated to all those who reviewed chapter one. **

**magicaltears: Thanks so much for proving to me that this story was not forgotten. And I want to kill Ricky too but if I did, well there wouldn't have been a "Finding Olivia" sequel.**

**Rockstargoddess101: Thank you so much.**

**TV Angel 711: Your reviews always make me smile. E&O for eternity! Ha, I one upped you.**

**: Sorry it took so long but you're finally getting your wish, a new chapter!**

**Hkitty9013: I'm sorry it took so long. I really didn't mean to keep you waiting so long but inspiration strikes me in the weirdest ways and at the weirdest times sometimes. I hope you like the chapter.**

Elliot and Olivia bid goodnight to Fletcher and climbed the stairs side by side. Olivia's eyes remained intensely focused anyplace but on Elliot. The shame she felt was overwhelming. She knew for certain that she couldn't handle walking into the squad room in the morning. With all those eyes on her, she would feel like they knew, even if they didn't.

At the top of the stairs the two began to go their separate ways but when Olivia reached the door of her darkened bedroom, a chill ran through her. She took several deep breaths but couldn't shake the feeling. She turned around and tip toed to the door of Elliot's room. She knocked tentatively and opened the door.

He was on his knees beside his bed. It was obvious that he was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he hadn't heard her enter. She stood there and watched him for a long time.

"Oh, God," he whispered tearfully "Please, give me the strength to protect her from this," there was a long pause as he struggled for breath "I can't let her get hurt again. I can't."

Olivia was about to step forward into the room. She was about to run to him, wrap her arms around her and cry with him. She needed to let him know that what had happened to her was not his fault. But for some reason, she stayed put, listening to his prayers.

"I love her so much," he sobbed "I can't lose her. God please, please give me the strength to be her strength?"

It was at that point that Olivia did step forward. She moved towards him quickly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. She dropped to his side "And please watch over Elliot and protect him for me, because I love him more than he'll ever know," she added her own words to his prayer.

He turned to her, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as he did so. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him "How long have you been there?" he asked.

"Long enough," she replied, laying her head upon his shoulder "Can I stay in here with you tonight?" she asked, her voice small, pleading.

Elliot pulled away and looked at her "It had been over a month since they had been in the same bed. And then, it had been a hospital bed, doctors and nurses coming at all hours of the night. In that place, Elliot had been the most familiar person to Olivia, and given what she had suffered at the hands of those monsters it made sense that she would want him near her.

But since that night, Olivia had slept by herself. She had claimed to be fine, even though Elliot would find her wandering around the house at odd hours like he had earlier; once he had discovered her, crouched in a corner by the front door, with his gun clenched between her fingers.

He would be lying if he said her request hadn't surprised him. He stared at her for a long time, unintentionally making her squirm under his gaze. His mouth opened slowly and eventually his mind formed the words "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered plainly before turning her gaze to her lap "I… I just don't want to be alone right now," she admitted.

Elliot smiled softly, lovingly. How could he refuse her? He stood, taking her with him. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her in his lap, not wanting to let go of her. He eased himself into a lying position under the covers and Olivia adjusted so that she was lying comfortably beside him.

"Comfortable?" he asked with a smile as he kissed the corner of her mouth. She nodded and smiled back at him. He reached up to turn out the light when the sensation of her hand on his arm stopped him.

"Don't," she pled softly. She felt like a silly child, afraid of the dark. She had never been afraid of the dark as a child, well… at least she had never admitted to being afraid of the dark. But now, she just didn't want Elliot to turn out that light, even though he would be right beside her.

Elliot lowered his hand and smiled gently at her. He placed his hand on her cheek "Okay," he whispered with nothing but understanding in his voice.

Olivia nodded her thanks and nuzzled close to him. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?" she asked as she held tight to him.

Elliot didn't have to ask what she was talking about. He'd been beating himself up about what had happened to her for the last month. He should have come looking for her sooner. He should have known something was wrong. He should have been able to stop her from going in the first place. He should have done so many things but in the end, he hadn't. He'd managed to get there in time to save her from being raped but the emotional toll of what she had already been through was horrifying in and of itself. He would never be able to believe, as she did, that he was her savior.

"I shouldn't have let you leave," he said softly, his eyes closed, unable to look at her.

"You were in the hospital;" Olivia reminded him "You couldn't have known."

Elliot bowed his head and placed a gentle kiss to Olivia's forehead "I would give anything to be able to go back and prevent what happened to you."

"I know you would," Olivia replied in a tender voice as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck "Please don't blame yourself for what Derek and Ricky and Jack did?"

Elliot didn't respond. He simply pulled her flush against him and kissed her again "Goodnight," he whispered "I love you."

"I love you too," Olivia replied, not wanting to press the issue tonight. Wrapped up in Elliot's arms, she felt safe, like nothing could hurt her and she was able to drift off.

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She wasn't beside him. Elliot bolted up in bed. The early morning sunlight was peeking through the window. Sometime during the night, the light above the bed had been switched off. He got out of bed and tip toed down the hall to Olivia's room, thinking that perhaps she had retreated during the middle of the night.

He pushed against the closed door without even thinking and it gave way a fraction of an inch. There she was, on the other side of the room, changing. Her back was turned towards him and strangely enough, she hadn't heard him approach.

Elliot stared as she pulled her pajama shirt over her head. Immediately, the dark red whip marks that had been left behind by her ordeal were visible to him. He hadn't seen them before; she had always kept them covered, insisting that they didn't cause her pain.

He withdrew from the doorway, feeling like he had intruded upon a part of her life he had no right to. He returned to his own room and got ready for the day.

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Olivia stood in the living room, staring at the plain cardboard envelope in her hands. Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She slid the disc out and held it in her hand. She didn't need to watch it to remember.

Suddenly and with out warning she snapped the disc in half. It made her feel momentarily better but the reality quickly set in. There were more copies out there, the raw footage was out there and Ricky could make more copies if he wanted. The destruction of one copy was barely a drop in the bucket. She began crying harder.

"He's not gonna get away with this," Elliot told her, coming up behind her and taking the pieces of the broken disc from her. He tossed them in the trashcan and returned to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her "It'll be okay," his words sounded hollow, even in his ears but they were all he could offer.

Olivia let him hold her, desperately wanting to believe him. She needed to believe that everything would be alright. She needed to believe that Fletcher would find all the copies and stop Ricky. She needed to believe that she was safe. But no matter how desperately she grasped for that small hope, it always seemed just out of her reach.

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Olivia had decided to come into the squad room after all. But the second she caught sight of her co-workers, she wished she hadn't. The sympathetic gaze that they all seemed to be affixing her with was too much. She would have attempted to write it off as the general sympathy she'd been getting from them lately, even though these stares seemed more sad than before. She would have tried to write it off if she hadn't seen Fletcher Kline standing in the middle of it all.

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Ricky stepped off the bus followed by his cronies. They had been forced to keep a low profile on their way to New York. He had tried to argue the point with his faceless employer but the voice on the other end of the phone had insisted. In passing, Ricky wondered what the two detectives could have done to piss someone off so badly but he had a job to do and, for the amount of money his employer had promised him, he was going to do it.

He turned to his crew. With Jack and Andy in jail and Derek dead, he had had to find new volunteers. Cullen was a rather unassuming man in appearance, he wouldn't stick out in a crowd; which was quite advantageous to their little operation. Cullen carried with him all the technical equipment but he was more than just a tech. Cullen had been an assassin for the CIA several years ago. The company believed him long dead. Ricky had to admit that if not for Cullen's spook instincts, they would probably have never gotten their little games started.

The other man Kaplan was responsible for all the tools of their trade. He lifted too large duffle bags from the compartment under the bus. In them were whips, chains, cuffs, clamps and other such torture devices. Kaplan was possibly the master torturer among them. Ricky had his moments but it was Kaplan who had elicited the most distressed screams from their victims. Sure Derek had had his moments and had served his purpose but Kaplan was the true king of the agony.

Kaplan's presence had been at the request of Ricky's employer. Ricky had been willing to take on the performing role once again but his employer had insisted that he bring Kaplan with him.

The three men took a back alley route away from the bus station. After about an hour of walking, they arrived at another bus station where they lay in wait for their next transport. None of the men spoke a word to the others. They were professionals; they knew what they were supposed to do and they knew how they were going to go about it. No words were needed.


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